New Bitterroot Magazine edition dropping in May

As you enter the door, the ring of a landline vibrates through your ears. You see ten people lined up at their desks typing away and others shouting and cackling on the phone. The roar of their voices and the smell of coffee fills the room. 

People run across the office, whisking away papers from their colleagues' desks to make the deadline. This is a common scene in a publication room, as writers and reporters can be chaotic. Most young writers would be ecstatic to join a publication team, but few have the opportunity. However, the English department at MSU has given students an opportunity to experience the editing and production of a magazine firsthand. 

WRIT 374 Magazine Editing and Production is a multi-media production class for all majors. The course is available during the spring; currently, there are about 20 students. The entire class revolves around the final product, the newest edition of Bitterroot Magazine. 

To accomplish this, students have taken on various responsibilities. Some students are working on long-form investigative stories, others work on the design or marketing teams. Similar to other magazines and publications, there are all sorts of editors, including the editor-in-chief, section editor, copy editor, you name it. 

The students are working as a team to print a 90-page publication by the end of the semester. According to the Bitterroot website, the class will dig deep into the different cultural identities and diverse landscapes within Montana and cover global issues, from a local angle. For example, one student is investigating the effects of the war in Ukraine on Montana farmers. 

“I told everyone at the beginning of the semester; this class is basically a one semester-long group project. Which sounds terrible, but it's really awesome,” said Beth Shirley, assistant professor in the English department and professor of WRIT 374. 

The group faces the same challenges many students encounter during group projects. Students wait on others to finish their work before they can contribute. For example, the copy editor can’t mill over a story for grammar and style mistakes before the writer has completed it. 

“People aren't always able to meet deadlines because of life things that come up and inject a little chaos into the whole process.” Shirley said. 

With that being said, the crew at Bitterroot Magazine gracefully handles the constant pressure. The proof is in the planning for this year's edition. Readers can expect more investigative reporting and a dramatic increase in the number of pages. 

“Last year's issue was around 50 to 60 pages. This one is going to be more like 90.” Dr. Shirley said. 

The page increase is because of advertisements and investigative stories inspired by this edition's new theme. 

“This year, the class chose the theme of convergence, and it's the idea of the Three Forks Rivers coming together. And thinking about Montana's different cultural identities and diverse landscapes and how those come together to make a really unique place,” Shirley said. “So many different investigations into unique stories could only happen in Montana.”

According to Shirley, in anticipation of the print date, the group will be releasing some stories online before the entire magazine is available. 

To stay updated with the Bitterroot crew, follow them on Instagram @bitterrootmagmsu. Additionally, their website bitterrootmagmsu.org houses the e-edition of the 2022 publication. This is where promo stories and the e-edition of this spring's magazine will be found after it’s printed. 

All majors are encouraged to join the class, so if you are interested in learning more about the course, Shirley would gladly speak with you. You can email her at bethshirley@montana.edu.